U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego has joined four other members of Congress to reintroduce anti-corruption legislation designed to encourage government transparency and accountability and help regain the public’s trust.

The group of Democratic House lawmakers — led by Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif. — on Tuesday accused President Donald Trump of normalizing "unethical behavior in a way that was once unthinkable, proving that we need stronger ethics laws."

The reform measure, called the Restoring Public Trust Act, focuses on limiting wasteful government expenses, holding government officials accountable, cutting conflicts of interest in hiring and in financial dealings and increasing oversight checks on federal agencies.

Many of the provisions in the Restoring Public Trust Act appear inspired by Trump and his administration. One would require all presidential candidates to release their tax returns from the past three years. One would extend federal nepotism laws to the Oval Office. Another would require government officials to reimburse the U.S. Treasury for any and all costs surrounding security details on trips, whether personal or for business.

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The U.S. has plummeted in an annual corruption index, falling out of the top 20 countries for the first time since 2011
Time

Gallego, D-Ariz., ripped Trump for “breaking from decades of precedent” by refusing to release information such as his past tax returns. Gallego also pointed to the president’s many expensive personal trips to his properties and golf courses on the nation’s dime.

The bill's provisions have names that target Trump’s actions using some of his favorite terms: The Stop Waste And Misuse by the President, or SWAMP, Act; the Determining if Regulatory Actions are in the Interest of the Nation or the Swamp, or DRAIN the Swamp, Act of 2018; the Curb Objectionable Redirection of Resources and Unconstitutional Payments to Trump, or CORRUPT, Act.

The CORRUPT Act was Gallego’s addition. It requires reports on how the Trump Organization and its affiliates spend taxpayer dollars.

“My legislation will require the White House and every government agency to disclose how much taxpayer money is spent at the president’s businesses,” Gallego said. “The American people deserve a full accounting of how Trump is abusing his public office and profiting from the presidency.”

Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island and Reps. Linda Sanchez of California and Anna Eshoo of California also helped introduce the bill.

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The group first introduced the Restoring Public Trust Act in November, but it didn't go anywhere in the then-GOP-led House. The reintroduced package likely will get a better reception in the now-Democratic-led House.

One Arizona-based political consultant said the bill now has a great chance of passing the House, but could hit a wall in the Senate, which is still controlled by Republicans.

“Are there enough Republicans in the Senate who will go to (Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell to say, you know, ‘The people have a right to transparency?'” asked Rodd McLeod, a veteran of Democratic political campaigns. "You only need a few to take that stand."